Sartorial Quaranzine

Issue III | May 2020

Q UA R A N Z I N E

Contents Staff Quarantine Fits

4

Color + Emotion

6

What’s in My Clothes?

8

Weekend in Springfield

10

Bingeable: ‘High Fidelity’

12

Bingeable: ‘Next In Fashion’

14

SW E ET

16

How to (maybe) find love during quarantine

18

Let’s talk about dairy...

20

Rom-coms are feminst.

22

Staff Sidney Young Zoe Brown Emma Crosswhite Camryn Mahnken Kathryn Dolan Nia Harrison

Leanna Ordoñez Katie Chandler Morgan Carleton Danny Chura Kayla Curry Skye Palmer

Macy Abernathy Reagan Roper Savannah Bryant Cassidy Leighty

About this issue...

This issue is a collection of our favorite content produced over the Spring 2020 semester. While the editorial photoshoot was produced before the coronavirus pandemic, the bulk of the content in this zine was produced remotely by the staff.

The issue was designed by Zoe Brown.

A Letter from the

Editor-In-Chief Oh how bittersweet it is to be writing this.

To start off, I joined Sartorial in the fall of 2017. During my second semester in the fashion program I was encouraged by a friend to join Sartorial just for fun. After a couple meetings I got the position of Lifestyle Director and had made so many new friends. Sartorial was a platform to show off my skills and interests and a huge motivator to keep me involved in school and work hard through my classes. It kept me thinking of my future and helped me narrow down what creative field I liked most.

I learned so many things through my experience; how to work with an artistic collective, communicate with confidence, ask questions without fear, collaborate with others in a professional manner, to advise and teach in a positive and constructive way. The content that I have produced for Sartorial is some of my favorite work to this day. With such a big team and the resources available I was able to make a lot of visions come to life.

Now in my third year, acting as President and weeks away from graduating, I am so thankful for the skills I’ve gained. From planning and managing, relationships I’ve built, the time I’ve spent creating and producing have all made such a profound impact on my personal life and my professional career. I want to thank anyone who has encouraged me along the way and supported Sartorial in any form. A few words for the current members: I know you all are going to do amazing things. Don’t ever let anyone intimidate you. Plan ahead, listen to your intuition and always be thinking outside of the box.

This publication brings students together to realize their potential and talents. The things I’ve learned, experiences I’ve gained and memories I’ve made over the last few years is something that I will forever hold valuable.

Cheers, Sidney Young

STAFF QUARANTINE FITS Outfits our staff has been rocking from home

Sidney Young President

Emma Crosswhite Production Director

Zoe Brown Vice President

Morgan Carleton Copy Editor

Leanna OrdoĂąez Graphic Designer

Katie Chandler Senior Staff Member

Fa s h i o n 5

Reagan Roper Staff Member

Danny Chura Staff Member

Nia Harrison Staff Member

Camryn Mahnket Senior Staff Member

Savannah Bryant Staff Member

Skye Palmer Staff Member

Kayla Curry Staff Member

COLOR + EMOTION H

By Katie Chandler

ave you ever worn a certain shirt and just putting it on changed your mood? Or walked into a meeting and noticed that everyone listened to you more than usual? Some of that may have been because of the color that you were wearing.

Research dating back to the 1890s has shown that people attribute different qualities and characteristics to different colors. Although everyone has different perceptions of colors, a study done in 1935 found many similarities between participants when they were asking to describe how the colors made them feel.

Warm colors, such as reds and yellows, correspond with happiness and optimism. On the other hand, cooler colors such as blues and greens, are associated with darker emotions like sadness and calmness.

Like many things, you cannot apply a blanket statement to the colors and assume everyone, everywhere, will react the same. The studies mentioned of color connection are primarily connected to American and European perceptions of the world.

Blue - calm / truth / wisdom

Red - passion / aggression / intense

Yellow - happiness / optimism / youth Green - healing / success / hope Black - power / mystery / professional Purple - royalty / spirituality / luxury Brown - stability / natural / reliability Orange - energy / fun / warmth White - purity / cleanliness / innocence Grey - neutral / practical / passive

An experiment conducted by Frank and Gilovich had participants complete tasks twice, once in a white uniform and again in a black one. Besides the color, the uniforms were identical, however, when participants wore the black clothes they acted more aggressive and negative. This study is important because it goes to show just how powerful a simple color switch in an outfit can be and how different it can make one feel.

Fa s h i o n 7

Using those perceptions, we can break down Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s, (AOC’s), outfit to see the message of success and hope in the green suit. The congress woman wore the green suit during a photoshoot for an interview about legislation she is trying to pass. In this case, the legislation was the Green New Deal which gives the green suit even more symbolism with the direct connotation. This could be a quiet, muted styling but paired with her iconic bold red lipstick, the intensity rises and adds to the power of the look.

In Margot Robbie’s yellow look, the bold confidence is similar to AOC, but the yellow evokes a youthful glow. While Robbie is also going to an interview, the yellow calms down the intensity without losing the sophisticated aura.

Finally, you can see in Kristen Bell's outfit the bright orange creates a fun, high energy, look.

The suit is rich and attention-grabbing but the orange creates a casual tone. Unlike AOC, Bell is not having a call to action or trying to make something happen, and layering too many aggressive colors would make a walk in the city too serious.

All three looks are stunning but the different use of colors allows them to cater more to the event and situation while still adding personality. Using the same look for three different people is not only boring but also ineffective. Although clothing began as a necessity, it has evolved into a form of self-expression. While color may seem simple, the same outfit can convey drastically different tones depending on the color choice. We can’t control what others think but we can build on their preconceived notions.

#WhatsInMyClothes Story by Camryn Mahnken. Illustration by Zoe Brown

Tragedy struck the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh on April 24, 2013.

The building, which was home to several garment factories, collapsed leaving 1,134 people dead and over 2,500 others injured. The workers in the building were making garments for some of the world’s most well-known brands.

Cracks in the building had been noticed the day before the collapse, but the building owners chose to ignore it. Workers voiced concerns about the stability and safety of the building, but their voices were unheard. Instead, the owners ordered garment workers to return the next day, with some managers even threatening to withhold a month’s worth of pay if employees refused to come to work.

The Rana Plaza building collapse is known as the largest garment factory disaster in human history. Every year since, on the week of it’s anniversary, people all over the world remember the lives lost and demand that no one should die for fashion during Fashion Revolution Week.

Fashion Revolution Week is a global movement striving to end human and environmental exploitation in the fashion industry. Those involved with the movement promote safe working conditions, living wages, and resource conservation in all aspects of the global supply chain.

This week, fashion activists took to social media to raise awareness of the challenges and inequalities that garment workers face and to make people aware of the impact of their wardrobes.

Using the hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes and #WhatsInMyClothes, consumers ask brands and companies to question the ethics of their practices and be more transparent about them. Part of Fashion Revolution Week is thinking about where your clothes come from and who they affect, and asking the brands you love to think about those things too.

Over 50% of garment workers in countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and India are paid less than minimum wage. The textile and clothing industry is one of the largest in the world, and 80% of garment workers within it are women. Fashion Revolution Week encourages brands to ask how those employees are treated. Questions like ‘do your employees receive a living wage?’ and ‘are your employees in safe working conditions?’ need to be answered. In order to work towards ethical production, brands must look further into where their garments come from. Asking #WhoMadeMyClothes pushes companies to understand that their consumers care about the rights and safeties of garment workers.

Another aspect of the movement considers the environmental impact of clothing.

Fa s h i o n 9

Fashion Revolution Week encourages labels to think about what materials are used to make their products and what happens to those materials after they’ve been sold. Fashion is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries today. 85% of all textiles in a given year go to landfills, containing fibers that will not break down properly. This week focuses on what the fashion industry can do better to reduce that pollution and damage it causes. Asking #WhatsInMyClothes tells brands that consumers also care about how their products impact our planet.

Fashion Revolution Week does not seek to make people feel guilty about shopping fast fashion, but instead to help them recognize that they have the power to make a change in the industry by changing their consumption habits and raising awareness. You have that power, too.

As we near the end of this year’s Fashion Revolution Week, I challenge you to ask yourself #WhoMadeMyClothes and #WhatsInMyClothes. Reach out to your favorite brands on social media or email to ask them about their practices.

Think deeply about whether the brands you shop at value people over profit.

Ask yourself how you can get involved to change the harmful practices of the fashion industry.

No one should die for fashion. Not garment workers, and not our planet.

More information at https://www.fashionrevolution.org.

As I’m once again living with my family in my hometown, I find myself missing my weekend outings in Springfield. Lately, I’ve been planning what I’ll do the first weekend after we return to “normal.” Here are the places and activities I miss most and will be eager to visit once the world opens up again.

Story and photo

by Zoe Brown

Culture 11

Weekend in Springfield Kingdom Coffee Kingdom Coffee is one of my favorite places in Springfield. I love to go there to study and do school work, but I always find myself chatting with my fellow coffee shop-goers.

I miss the familiarity of the baristas and the sunlight pouring into the shop from lively downtown Springfield. They have the best lattes in town, and you bet I’ll be making up for lost time by visiting them often next semester.

Pure Hot Yoga Before the pandemic hit, I got into the routine of attending hot yoga classes at Pure Hot Yoga a couple times a week. These high-intensity classes quickly became one of the highlights of my week. Hot yoga is a unique workout experience because while you’re dripping sweat like never before, you feel peaceful and disconnected from the world outside of the studio. It’s quite an experience. I miss having that time dedicated to bettering myself with no distractions of work, school, or personal life. I’m looking forward to getting back in the groove of going to the class with friends.

A Cricket in the House From the outside, the shop seems small but once you enter, it feels like there are endless items to see — vintage clothing and accessories, paintings, furniture — A Cricket in the House has it all. The owner of the shop is incredibly personal and often plays French jazz which makes you feel like you’ve stepped out of Springfield, MO and into a town somewhere in France. This is one of my favorite places to take friends and family visiting Springfield.

Moxie Cinema: $8 for students I love watching movies on Netflix from the comfort of my bed, but nothing tops the excitement of settling into your seat at a movie theater, soda and popcorn in hand. The moment before a film begins where all you see is black and all you hear is the soft sound of audience members opening the movie candy they snuck into the theater is one of my favorite experiences. You can’t replicate that type of anticipation.

As soon as the pandemic is over and it’s safe to gather in public again, I will be one of the first in line at Moxie Cinema downtown in Springfield, likely seeing an A24 film or anything with Timothee Chalamet.

Bingeable on Hulu Written by Morgan Carleton Photos from Hulu

Culture 13

‘High Fidelity’ B

y now we all have been dealing with the lockdown for longer than we have hoped. One way I am getting through this is time is by binge-watching— a lot. There is one show I keep going back to for its love-stories, fashion, and soundtrack. That show is High Fidelity, starring the one and only Zoe Kravtiz, set in New York.

Some may not know but High Fidelity was originally a book-turned-movie that came out in 2000, so of course, it had Jack Black in it. The new High Fidelity is a show streaming on Hulu. It takes the original story-line with it but transforms it into a modernized version while still holding on to the feeling of rock and pop culture.

In the first season, Rob (Kravitz) is a record store owner who definitely looks the part, in the best way impossible. She is falling into a deep hole of self-reflection trying to find where past relationships went wrong and why she is left heart-broken.

I’m sure we’ve all been there.

Her character is almost incapable of opening back up to love and has turned cynical towards the idea. Especially

after her old beau moves back to town, but I will leave the storyline there. I’m not going to give away too much.

Kravtiz’s character is the definition of cool throughout this show, almost too cool. Maybe that is just because it is Zoe Kravtiz.

Either way, it is almost impossible to believe anyone would not want to be with her, or that she would ever be left heart-broken.

She is a style-icon, like always, dressing in laidback band t-shirts paired with mini skirts, sundresses, vintage jeans, and a leather jacket. Most of her outfits in the show are from her own wardrobe but who is surprised. At the end of every episode, I was searching for pieces similar just to attempt to embody the energy Kravtiz has.

This show places an emphasis on the importance of rock music as it helps identify Kravitz’s character. I mean she does own a record store after all. The playlist throughout this show is one to die for and is streamable on Spotify. Even if you don’t watch the show at least listen to the playlist.

Tom Van Schelven

Bingeable on Netflix

‘Next in Fashion’ Written by Danny Chura

Culture 15 Netflix poster

N

ext in Fashion” is the newest reality show on Netflix about who can be the next biggest fashion designer. It was released this January and is hosted by well-known designers, Tan France and Alexa Chung.

The show is similar to other fashion shows like the famous “Project Runway,” but I think it manages to distinguish itself in a way that is relevant and fresh.

The show starts out with nine teams of two experienced designers as they compete in challenges.

Each challenge is themed around a different aspect of fashion design, like denim, streetwear, or lingerie. The show's structure is nothing that you haven’t seen before in a fashion reality show, but I think the teams make for a more interesting experience. Especially at the start, when there are so many people competing, the teams make it easier to keep track of everyone.

The colorful cast of contestants is something that really shines for me. Everyone has their own story you gradually learn throughout the episodes, and I think the casting crew did an amazing job of finding people from a huge variety of backgrounds. You have designers from all over the world — China, South America, Europe, and Africa — which make their individual styles stand out. All the teams become endearing and compelling as you get to know them. I do find the title, “Next in Fashion,” a bit of a misnomer because almost every contestant has already made their own line or has dressed celebrities like Beyonce in the past. I guess some extra cash and bigger platform never hurt

What I especially love about this show is the fact that it's a reality show competition, but it doesn’t rely on unnecessary drama to get their views. The teams don’t constantly fight with each other, the judges aren’t overly rude, and people don’t hate each other.

Comparing how they act here vs “Project Runway” is like night and day.

That's not to say “Next in Fashion” doesn’t have its moments, but in general everyone seems to be there to support each other and get their work done. As someone who watches these shows primarily for the fashion, I’m glad that’s what the producers went for.

One minor complaint I do have with “Next in Fashion” is that although the judges are more support-

ive, I think sometimes it can get unprofessional and messy. There's one episode in particular where a guest judge doesn’t like the decision of who to send home, so he walks out of the studio. This leaves the rest of the judges to make the decision to keep the team in for another round, even though that team had been in the bottom for the past three episodes. I’m sure a lot of this just has to do with the fact that this is their first season, and they haven’t gotten the formula down just yet. This could totally be fixed in a potential season two.

I think “Next in Fashion” is a solid new fashion reality show that I enjoyed watching. I look forward to seeing how it develops. It was a little rough around the edges and maybe a little bit simpler than other fashion shows, but the overall lack of drama and cute cast definitely made up for it. All in all, I thought it was a charming new addition to the Netflix roster, and possibly my new favorite fashion show. It’s definitely going on my list.

SWEET Photos by Zoe Brown Production by Emma Crosswhite Makeup by Macy Abernathy, Emma Crosswhite, Zoe Brown Models: Skye Palmer, Katie Chandler, Nia Harrison, Julia Wade-Hess

Beauty 17

How to (maybe) find love during a pandemic...

Story by Katie Chandler.

Illustration by Zoe Brown

Culture 19

E

verything in our lives has suddenly changed with no promise of when it is going back to normal. However, this does not mean we should not get to still enjoy the little things in life, like getting ready and going on dates.

I'm an extrovert. I love going out, meeting new people, and even awkward first dates, and I’ve found that this can still happen during the quarantine. It is just a little different. You may be familiar with the typical dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge), so find someone on there and have some fun (From your respective homes, we're not breaking social distancing.)

Maybe you’re a little nervous and would appreciate a group setting. Websites like Zoom University are setting up virtual double dates for you and a friend where you fill out a questionnaire, receive a Zoom code, and get set up with two other friends.

With today's technology, there is so much you can do for free to make life feel somewhat normal. All of these date ideas only require 2 people and Zoom.

Date Ideas

What to expect...

The easiest one is to go on a brunch date. Both of you can make the same food or support some local businesses and order in. You can put on that outfit you were waiting to bust out before all of this happened, and the two of you can enjoy a morning together.

Still nervous? I went on my very own Zoom date and can tell you what I’ve learned.

Go on a virtual trip to the zoo. Right now, so many places, like the San Diego Zoo, are doing live-streams so you can watch pandas or look at baby elephants.

Doing an activity like this automatically gives you two something to talk about and helps you bond through the unique experience. Wear your cutest animal print and enjoy the view without the smell.

Movie Night. Another super simple thing -you could both send each other surprise snacks and treats to still make it special. You could also have a dinner date and wear your old prom clothes and act as if it's the movie premiere.

Game Night. No dress-up required, just some friendly competition. Websites like Jackbox have a bunch of games that are made for social distancing.

Animal Crossing Date. You and your significant other taking a trip around each other's museums? I honestly cannot think of anything cuter. Don’t forget to get a picture of this.

Expect it to be weird. Not because the other person does anything wrong, but it helps to remember that hardly anyone has done this before. Just try your best and embrace the awkward pauses when the video lags.

Still run your background checks. I was lucky and found a nice guy who was down to do this so i could write this article but catfish still exist in quarantine.

Not to sound like old fashioned 80 year old but, the internet is just like real life, it’s not entirely safe.

Keep it low pressure. While it may not be the best advice, it's the truth. You're not going to see this person in real life for a while or maybe ever. If it's bad, you have a good story to tell and can move on. Just hope you don’t run into each other at the grocery store.

Remind yourself it's okay to enjoy it. With so many awful things happening all around us, it's easy to get caught up in it and forget to take care of yourself.

You can save the world tomorrow after you put on an outfit that makes you feel good and have a couple laughs with a stranger today.

k l a t Let ’s . . . y r i a d t u abo olan

hryn D t a K y B

The summer before I turned 18, I was hunched over a large bowl of Mac N’ Cheese. My best friend who recently went vegan, was sitting across from me shaking her head as I slurped up the stringy goodness. She didn’t say anything out loud, but her eyes said it all. You know better.

It’s true. I did.

After watching a few Netflix documentaries, I learned all about the atrocities that occur on most factory-level dairy farms. For those of you that don’t know, here's a quick summary. (WARNING, it’s upsetting):

The mom cow is artificially inseminated by a farmer and forced to give birth over and over again in order to keep producing milk. Each time she has to witness her baby be ripped away from her. The calf is either A: killed and sold for veal, or B: raised as another dairy cow and the cycle continues.

Sad right? Well unfortunately that’s not all.

Dairy is not only harmful to cows, it’s harmful to the environment too.

It takes about 1,000 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk, and almost 900 gallons of water for one pound of cheese. Livestock release an incredible amount of gasses into the air, with cows alone producing over 150 billion gallons of methane per day. One to two acres of rainforest land are cleared every second for cattle grazing ground, making animal agriculture the leading cause of rainforest destruction.

I had given up meat completely for almost a year but I couldn't let. go. of. dairy.

After doing a bit of research, I found out dairy contains an addictive compound called casein. When consumed, it triggers the same brain receptors that heroin and other opioids attach to. Obviously cheese is not as dangerous as heroin, but it did explain why I couldn’t seem to give it up.

I reflected back on my childhood and remembered the, “Got Milk?” signs plastered on my cafeteria’s walls and the food pyramid that listed dairy as a vital and necessary food group.

Opinion 21

Turns out, the government signed an agreement with the dairy industry to promote dairy in public schools all across America. Students actually make up a huge portion of the dairy industry’s profit from advertising and selling milk cartons to kids in the lunch line.

I did some digging and discovered this alliance between the government and the dairy industry dates all the way to World War 1, when there was a major dairy surplus. The USDA Dairy Division began to heavily market and push dairy products through educational campaigns which linked milk to bone health, and listed dairy as the best source of calcium for children.

I had to wonder, were either of these claims true?

Though dairy does contain a substantial amount of calcium, many products are loaded with sodium, fat and cholesterol. (Not to worry! There are so many healthful calcium-rich foods available like broccoli, kale, okra, almonds, sesame seeds, tofu, and fortified soy milk.)

As far as milk relating to bone health, it looks like drinking milk doesn’t actually benefit our bones at all.

According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a large-scale Harvard study followed 72,000 women for twenty years and found no evidence that drinking milk can prevent bone fractures or osteoporosis.

Another study of more than 96,000 people found that the more milk men consumed as teenagers, the more bone fractures they experienced as adults. Similarly, another study found that adolescent women who consumed the most dairy products, were at greater risk for stress fractures than those consuming less calcium.

I felt betrayed by all my favorite childhood celebrities, looking down at younger me in the lunch line with their milk mustaches. Ashley Tisdale, Micheal Jordan, how could you?!

According to the National Library of Medicine, over 65 percent of the global population is lactose intolerant. The more I thought about it, the more this statistic made sense. Of course it’s hard for us to process dairy, after all, cow milk was meant to help baby calves grow, not humans.

Here are some of my absolute favorites: Tofutti sour cream, perfect on a burrito or a baked potato.

Follow your Heart cheese slices, great for grilled cheese.

Miyoko cream cheese, for your bagel needs.

Violife cheddar shreds, definitely melt these.

Oat-ly vanilla oat milk ice cream, tastes like frozen custard I swear.

So Delicious coconut milk yogurt, add some granola, mmmm.

After learning all of this information I couldn't consciously feel good about consuming dairy anymore. I've been vegan for three years and the longer I go without dairy, the lighter and healthier I feel. Not to worry if you’re craving something creamy, there are so many dairy alternatives out there now.

As far as milk goes, I prefer unflavored soy milk in hot drinks and unflavored almond milk in cereal.

I leave you with this advice:

Take this information as an opportunity to feel good about what you consume. But please don’t feel guilty if you can’t afford dairy alternatives, or if you stop eating dairy for a while then slip up and eat some ice cream, it’s OK! Consciously cutting down on dairy is a great first step and you should be proud of yourself and your efforts. If you absolutely can’t part with dairy, buying products from local dairy farms is a great option too. You can actively help the earth, yourself and animals every time you go to the grocery store, good luck!

Rom-coms are feminist.

By Kayla Curry

I

’m a feminist in every sense of the word.

I often find myself partaking in angry rants about my frustrations with men.

I am on the executive board for Generation Action, a daughter organization of Planned Parenthood. You’ll find me thirst tweeting about The Aces, an all-girl rock band I am obsessed with. I just really love women. I’m also a hopeless romantic who indulges herself in young adult romance novels and movies every chance I get. Many might say these things contradict each other.

I say. That. Is. A. Load. Of. Bullshit. (Excuse my unladylike language...or don’t.) Here are 4 reasons why.

1. Feminism does not look a certain way.

If you’re like me, you may be concerned that being a feminist and being in love with Peter Kavinsky is an inflexible paradox. Can you be a hopeless romantic as a feminist? After careful thought, I think the answer is absolutely yes — you can. In fact, I think the notion that being a feminist has to look a certain way is just the patriarchy creeping into our decisions and our behaviors again. Why should I call cheesy romance stories my “guilty pleasures?” They’re just pleasures. Nothing to feel guilty about.

We’ve been socialized to feel bad about liking stories in which women actually get the love, appreciation, and recognition they deserve, and the way I see it, that’s just another way for society to mock anything that women derive enjoyment from. Feminism is getting to love who or whatever you want, and be

whatever you want, even if those things are considered “traditionally feminine.” Stories about women that include men are still stories about women which brings me to reason #2.

2. Rom-coms can be empowering too.

Romance stories can be a reflection of the way we wish things were. Think about it. Romance stories are the only time women actually get what they want. The romance genre is written primarily by women, for women, and if we all like it so much, why are we mocked for it? The answer: We’ve been socialized to feel guilty about women’s pleasure, but we should start practicing feeling proud of it.

A perfect example comes from my favorite rom-com and book series “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.” I love it not just because I think Peter K is a heartthrob, but because the girl in the story gets exactly what she dreams of. My favorite character in the story is the protagonist, Lara Jean Song-Covey, a 16-year-old Korean American who loves bright colors, baking, scrapbooking, and reading steamy romance novels.

As an Asian American who has always been a shy, hopeless romantic like LJ, I see myself in her. One of the reasons the series is so enjoyable to rewatch time and time again is getting to watch Lara Jean blossom in front of your eyes and get all she’s ever wanted. I find myself feeling empowered watching a girl be soft and strong at the same time.

Opinion 23

At the beginning of the story, Lara Jean goes unnoticed by almost everybody. By the end, she has multiple friends who discover what an interesting and kind person she really is, and she’s dating Peter Kavinsky, her childhood crush. She finds her voice in this story while dating the cutest boy in school. Not to mention, she had a plethora of women supporting her, including her sisters and her late mother who influences her character despite not being physically present.

The series does not ignore Lara Jean as a three-dimensional character with a backstory, personality traits, hobbies, and values. The story is just as much about a young woman coming of age as it is about romance.

3. Romance isn’t just a “girl thing”.

Being in love with love is not something to be ashamed of, and it’s definitely not assigned to a certain gender. Romance is not just stories about masculine men saving the day, and heternormative plotlines don’t have to be threadbare and boring.

For example, Lara Jean stands up to her bully and confronts her boyfriend head-on without ever having to wear less pink or fewer bows. She does not let a man boss her around, and she does it without ever having to sacrifice her love of baking or reading romance novels.

You should not have to sacrifice your “traditional femininity” to be a feminist.

Be whatever you want because traditional femininity doesn’t really exist. We’ve been socialized to believe in it, but terms like “girly colors” or “chick flick” hold no intrinsic meaning. It’s draining enough having to fight against society’s expectations of us as women without having to give up things that make us happy. I should not

feel bad for wishing things were as simple as they’re portrayed in books and movies because honestly, fighting the patriarchy is tiring, which brings me to my last point.

4. Feminists just wanna have fun.

Sometimes I want to stop thinking about how we live in a patriarchal society that still perpetuates a gender pay gap and sympathizes with misogynistic men who abuse their power. It’s mentally exhausting. The thought that we as feminists can’t enjoy a sappy love story because we’re too busy fighting the patriarchy is ridiculous and unrealistic. We want to have fun too.

So what if we like reading romance novels or watching romantic comedies on Netflix?

Give us a break. Men in real life are almost never the kind we see on-screen, and maybe we just wish they were. It’s true we are socialized to believe in the false idea that women need a man to be complete. We are conditioned to look for our husband most of our young adult lives, then settle down and have kids. Feminism doesn’t say having these things are bad. It just says you’re not any less of a woman if you decide you want something else. Feminism is all about making choices of your own volition.

My final thoughts: After a lot of thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that not only is the romance genre not anti-feminist, but it is pro-feminist. So next time you’re watching “Little Women,” applaud Jo March, but don’t feel bad for rooting for her romance with the cute boy next door. It’s time we stop feeling ashamed of the things that bring us joy and start feeling empowered by them.

I broke up with my birth control —

maybe you should too...

By Skye Palmer Graphic by Leanna Ordoñez

I

n my sophomore year of high school, I got on birth control. Like many of my female peers, I struggled with hormonal acne, period irregularity, and of course — I didn’t want to risk getting pregnant. After almost four years on the pill, I made the conscious decision to take a break. You’re probably wondering why. After all, I’m in my baby making prime — women under the age of 25 have a 96 percent chance of conceiving in a year if they're trying each month. Now, as a naturally cycling woman, I find myself in that position. But I have a valid reason, one that many women share.

I first became skeptical of the effects that my hormonal birth control was having on my body after being on the pill for approximately two years. Nearing the end of my senior year, I started to feel off-kilter. I was nauseous, I felt fatigued, and my period seemed like it would never end; I had my period for two consecutive months before I decided to go to the doctor and make sure that everything was ok.

Opinion 25

After a few blood tests and a CAT scan I discovered I had a ruptured ovarian cyst. My doctor proceeded to up the dosage of my birth control to prevent another cyst from forming. However, it wasn’t long before I started to see more health issues crop up. After changing my birth control, I saw noticeable changes in my figure. I felt heavier and more bloated. I was holding on to more water and appeared more puffy than usual. I attributed this sudden change in my appearance to the myths surrounding “the pill” and the weight gain that can accompany it.

But come the start of my freshman year in college, my mental health took a nosedive. I struggled to get out of bed and connect with friends. I saw changes in my relationship with food. I was anxious, irritable, and above all unhappy.

In a dire effort to remedy these mounting concerns, I would get off the pill for a few weeks, and in time, get back on after not seeing the desired effects. This instability drove my mental and physical health into further distress. I got on birth control at such an early age I didn’t know who I was without it. It was over Thanksgiving break of this year that I decided to quit for good, and on my flight back to Springfield, I listened to the eye-opening book that changed my life forever.

This is Your Brain on Birth Control: The Surprising Science of Women, Hormones, and the Law of Unfiltered Consequences by Sarah E. Hill PhD held the answers to all of my questions and put an end to the years I spent debating whether birth control was right for me.

Through her own personal annecdotes, years of expertise regarding

human psychology, and various scientific studies, Hill debunks the mystique surrounding birth control writing, “Sex hormones impact the activities of billions of cells in the body at once, many of which are in the brain. There, they play a role in influencing attraction, sexual motivation, stress, hunger, eating patterns, emotion regulation, friendships, aggression, mood, learning, and more. This means that being on the birth control pill makes women a different version of themselves than when they are off of it.”

Hill’s insightful research-filled pages left me feeling empowered and in control. Not only was I well-informed on the functionality of the female body, but also the various effects that artificial hormones have on these functions - both the positive and the negative.

It enlightened me to the fact that “birth control can have negative implications for learning, memory, and mood. Additionally, because the pill influences who women are attracted to, being on the pill may inadvertently influence who women choose as partners, which can have important implications for their relationships once they go off it.”

Through trial and error, I discovered that hormonal birth control was no longer a form of contraception that I wanted to use. However, there is no question that birth control is an extraordinary resource for women that are looking for a safe method of contraception.

Birth control has and continues to open countless doors for women receiving an education, climbing the corporate ladder or by simply allowing women to take control over their own fertility, giving them the choice as to when they want to

conceive.

If you are questioning whether you are on the right birth control or if you even want to be on the pill at all, I encourage you to do some research. The most that we can do is inform ourselves on the different options that we have in the way of contraception. Hormonal birth control is not the only option!

Moreover, we should be aware of the impact that the contents of these different forms of birth control have on our bodies. Birth control is not one size fits all. I could have saved myself a lot of grief by simply educating myself.

Today, I am still adjusting. My body is still learning how to navigate life without the pill. However, my mental health has improved tremendously, my body feels and looks healthier than ever, and I could not be more content with my decision. I am currently relying on apps to track my cycle so that I can accurately predict when I am ovulating as well withdrawal and condoms. However, with quarantine restrictions in place I am not too worried about the risk factors associated with a more “natural approach”. In the future I plan to look into non-hormonal pregnancy prevention such as a copper IUD. But for the time being I’m letting my body breathe, I’m taking a break.

Additional Methods of Contraception: - Condoms - Hormonal Birth Control - Birth Control Shot - Birth Control Patch - Copper IUD - The Sympto-Thermal Method (STM) - Apps tracking cyclical fertility

I

Graphic by Leanna Ordoñez

grew up loving magazines, reading American Girl as a pre-teen, growing into Seventeen Magazine and Cosmopolitan. But now as I look back, I can see the problematic nature of some of their content. Headlines often read, ‘How to get guys to like you’ or ‘How to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.’ I realize now that I am in the process of reclaiming my identity after years of being taught to change myself to fit the mold society presented to me.

As the 2020-2021 Editor-in-Chief of Sartorial, my mission is to be the magazine for college students that we didn’t have growing up. This will be the guiding theme for the 2020-2021 school year as we aim to diversify the content of traditional magazines and provide a more inclusive landscape for teens and young people than what we saw growing up.

Everything Sartorial publishes is vetted by these criteria. Are we representing people of color, people of different sizes, people with diverse gender or sexual orientations?

Representation matters; these are the questions we must ask. We have the opportunity to be the magazine we didn’t have growing up.”

- Zoe Brown, Editor-in-Chief 2020-2021